TEHRAN – Iran volleyball setter Saeid Marouf has announced his retirement from international duty. Marouf will absolutely be remembered as one of the all-time greats in his position.

The 37-year-old player orchestrated Iran through his ability for two decades and led a team that became one of the best in the world.

He is truly a top-class entertainer and wizard of volleyball, FIVB.com reported.

Marouf showcased an amazing range of skills in defense and attack over the past years and helped Iran dominate Asia for many years.

But his retirement could be a big blow to Iran. The captain will not lead Iran in the 2021 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship which will be held in Funabashi, Japan from Sept. 12 to 19.

Iran must claim at least a silver medal in the competition to secure a place at the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship.

Iran finished in ninth place in the 2020 Olympic Games under leadership of Russian coach Vladimir Alekno. It was a golden chance for Marouf to add a valuable accolade to his achievements but he left Olympics in tears.

But, volleyball fans in Iran and in the world will never forget the wizard of volleyball.

Saeid Marouf in numbers

2014 – Year he won Best Setter in the World League
2005 – Year he started playing for the senior national team
2001 – Year he made his youth national team debut
1063 – His total number of set attempts in the World League 2014 preliminary round
327 – His total number of set attempts at the World League 2014 Group 1 Finals
189 – His height in centimetres
182 – The number of FIVB matches he has played
35 – His current age
10 – The average number of sets he made per set (10.47) in the World League Group 1 Finals
7 – The total number of national and international club titles he has won – Zenit Kazan (2), Matin Varamin (2), Paykan (1), Sanam (1), Kalleh (1)
6 – The total number of gold medals won in the Asian Championhips (2), Asian Games (2), Asian Cup (2)
4 – His jersey number
3 – The foreign countries where he has played club volleyball - Russia (Zenit Kazan), Italy (Siena) and China (BAIC Motor)
2 – The number of times he led his team to qualify to the Olympic Games (Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020)
1 – The number of medals he won at an FIVB event (bronze medal at the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Grand Champions Cup)